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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. WESSELL.

PIANO ACTION. I No. 436,511. Patented Sept. 16,1890.

Fig?! Fif 269839,- Imenvw W W {No.Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 t O. WESSELLPIANO ACTION.

No. 436,511. Patented Sept. 16, 1890.

Fliinawea: Invenr UNITED STATES 4 PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO \VESSELL, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO IVESSELL, NICKEL 8t.GROSS, OF SAME PLACE.

PIANO-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 436,511, datedSeptember 16, 1890.

Application filed January 24, 1890. Serial No. 8537,9 28. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO WEssELL, of the city of New York, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inPianoActions, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to piano-actions in which the jack is pivoted toa lever which is itself pivotally attached to a fixed rail and actedupon by a key-lever through either a support thereon or a connectiontherewith.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents in sectional elevationa key, a hammer, and all the corresponding mechanism of a grand-pianoaction illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 represents in sectionalelevation a hammer, a key, and the corresponding mechanism of the actionof an upright piano, illustrating the application of myinvention to thatkind of piano.

Similar letters of reference designate cor.

responding parts in both the figures.

I will first describe my invention with reference to Fig. 1.

A designates the hammer, pivotally connected with the hammer-rail B inthe usual way through a flange a.

O designates the lever to which the jack D is pivoted by a pin 1). Thislever, which will be hereinafter spoken of as the jack-lever,constitutes also in this example of my invention the rest-support,havinga hammer-rest E provided upon it. The said lever C is pivotallyconnected with afixed rail F, commonly known as the action-rail, bymeans of a flange c, to which said lever is pivoted by a pin d. The saidlever is also connected in this example of my invention by a sticker 0,with a block 0 secured on the key K.

G is a repetition-lever fulcrumed by a pin 6 to a post C, provided onthe jack-lever O. This repetition-lever G is slotted for the jack 1) topass through it and operate upon the knuckle A of the hammer.

The jack D is constructed with a let-off projection or arm f, which bythe raising of the jack-lever and jack is brought into contact with thelet-off screw f The said jack has screwed into it a regulating-screw g,which operates in connection with an abutment g,

erected upon the jack-lever O. The repetition-lever G is alsorepresented as provided with another regulating-screw h, which stopsagainst an abutment h on the jack-lever. U

The repetition-lever is also represented as having its spring aconnected with the jacklever by a stirrup 21, and the jack-springj isrepresented as attached to the post O of the jack-lever and connectedwith the jack by a stirrup j. As thus far described, the actionmechanism does not difierfrom that of other grand or horizontalpiano-actions.

H designates the spring, which constitutes the principal feature of myinvention, which in this example of my invention represent-ed in Fig. 1,is applied directly between the jacklever and the action-rail F. In thisexample the said spring consists of a light coil-spring applied abovethe said rail and under said lever, the lower end of the said springbeing set in a little pocket It, provided in said rail, and the upperend entering a small cavity provided for it in the bottom of the jack-lever.

The pockets or cavities is k may consist, simply, of round holes, of asizejust sutficient to receive the ends of the springs, bored,respectively, in the rail F and lever C. The spring thus constructed andapplied is easily put in place and securely retained therein.

I will now describe my invention as applied to the upright actionillustrated by Fig. 2. In this example of my invention the hammer A andthe jack-lever O, to which the jack D is pivotally attached, are bothpivotally connected with one railB, thehammer being pivoted to a flangea, secured to said rail, and the j ack-lever to a flange c, secured tothe said rail. The spring H which constitutes the principal feature ofmy invention, is applied between the jack -lever O and aspecially-provided fixed rail F. The said spring H is like that shown inFig. 1, consisting of a coil and having its lower end dropped into asmall pocket It in the said rail, and its upper end received in arecess7c in the bottom of the jack-lever. The jack lever O in thelast-described example is operated upon by the key K through a block 0which presses against the bottom of the said lever.

In both the examples of my invention it will be seen there is a spring Happlied directly between thejack-lever and afixed rail in such 2. Thecombination, with the lever to which 15 manner as to exert a gentleupward pressure the jack is pivoted and a fixed rail, the rail againstthe jack-lever, easing the touch of the being provided in its upper facewith a seat player on the key, both in first striking the for the lowerend of a coil-spring, and the 5 note and in repeating. lever beingprovided in its under face with a What I claim as my invention, anddesire seat for the upper end of the coil-spring, of a 20 to secure byLetters Patent, iscoil-spring removably secured with its ends 1. Thecombination, with the lever to which in engagement with said seats, forthe purpose the jack is pivoted, and a fixed rail provided substantiallyas set forth.

:0 with a pocket, ofa coil-spring the lower end of which is locatediinsaid pocket in the rail and the upper end of which is seated againstWitnesses: the bottom of the said lever, substantially as FREDK. HAYNES,and for the purpose herein described. GEO. BARRY.

oTTo WESSELL.

